Instant hog roast: 170 pigs struck by rare ‘ball of lightning’

The smell of hog roast is emanating from a farm in China after an unfortunate natural phenomenon took place.

Around 400 pigs were being housed in a barn in southern China’s Hunan province when a rare ‘ball of lighting’ hit the metal structure.

A total of 170 poor pigs were fried instantly, meaning the farmer, Lu Qingsheng, is now facing financial ruin – and his wife is lucky to be alive.

‘My wife had been feeding the animals when the lightning struck, and her foot had been touching one of the railings,’ Lu said. ‘She was blasted off her feet but is lucky to have survived and not end up like the pigs.’

Too right, because according to eyewitness accounts many of the pigs literally exploded, with only their remaining ears to suggest that they had even been there in the first place.

Ball lightning is an unexplained electrical phenomenon that occurs during thunderstorms when a spherical object, which can range from the size of a pea to metres in diameter, floats to the ground before exploding.

There have been few sightings over the years and many experts dispute its very existence.

But don’t tell that to Lu, as the death of his prize-winning pigs means he may lose up to £30,000.